Feed mechanism for blank-threading machines.



No. 708,|40. v Patented Sept. 2,1902.

J. H. HASKINS. FEED MECHANISM FOR BLANK-THBEADING MACHINES.

(Application filed Feb. 19, 1902.)

4 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.) v

' Jaye/2 cams vzvzns co. PHdTO L lTHO WASHINETON n c No. 708,140. Patented Sept.;2, I902.

. J. H. HA8K|NS. FEED MECHANISM FOR BLANK THREADING MACHINES.

(Application filed Feb. 19,. 1902.) (No Model.) 4 Sheeis$heet 2.

"n4: NORRIS FEVER! 00., mom-Lima. WASHINFATON, D. c.,

Pa tented Sept. 2, I902.

. J. H. HASKINS. FEED MECHANISM FOR BLANK THREADING MACHINES.

A nwion filed Feb. 10, 1902 wrN 0 i ilma n u n 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Wi i No; Name. Patented Sept. 2, I902. J. H. HASKINS. FEED MECHANISM FOR BLANK THBEADING MACHINES.

, Application filed Feb. 19, 1902.) No Model.) 4 Sheets-Shut 4.

714771 isses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. HASKINS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MCCORMICK HARVESTING MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FEED MECHANISM FOR BLANK-THREADING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,140, dated September 2, 1902.

Application filed February 19 190Z. Serial No. 94,813. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: its connection with the actuator-bar. Fig. 9

Be it known that I, JAMES H. HASKINS, a is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the citizen of the United States, residing at Chimachine, showing the feed mechanism, the cago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, haveinactuator-bar, and the means for actuating 55 vented certain new and useful Improvements the latter.

in Feed Mechanism for Blank-Threading Ma- My improved feeding device is particularly chines; andIdo hereby declare the following adapted for use in connection with blankto be a full, clear, and exact description of the threading machines of the type heretofore invention, such as will enable others skilled patented by me, No. 583,647, granted Janu- 6o 10 in the art to which it appertains to make and ary 1, 1897, and, as illustrated in the accomuse the same. panying drawings, the machine to which my My invention relates to improvements in present invention is applied is practically automatic machines for threading blanks, in identical in structure and'mode of operation which the blanks are automatically fed from with the aforesaid patented machine as con- 15 a hopper by way of a chute or series of chutes cerns the mechanisms for actuating the into position to be acted upon by the threadthread-cutting tools and for controlling the cutting tools; and the object of myinvention blanks in the hopper to prevent them from is to provide an improved form of feeding debecoming compact and piled upon themselves vice for the blanks as they are delivered from as they are being presented to the chutes. It

zothe chute or chutes that will insure the deis to be understood, however, that my imlivery of but a single blank at a time to the proved feeding device is not limited in its plunger which presents the blank to the practical application to this particular mathread-cutting tool, that will automatically chine or to any other specific type of mac'lose the chute after a single blank has been chine, but is capable of successful applica 25 delivered, that will avoid the necessity of tion to all machines wherein blanks of reguproviding spring-clips to hold each blank lar form are fed from chutes into position to prior to its being operated upon by the plunbe operated upon by tools or finishing mechger, and that will effect a positive, accurate, anism. In so far as the mechanism covered and uniform feed of the blanks, and thereby by the patent is concerned, reference may be o minimize the tendency of the blanks to had tothe specification of said patent for the clog in the chute and in a corresponding specific details of construction and mode of degree reduce the amount of attention reoperation thereof; but as much of the said quired from the operator. mechanism as is directly effective in the op- My invention is illustrated in the accomeration of my improved feeding mechanism 5 panying drawings, in which may be briefly described as follows:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of amachine The moving parts of the machine are embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top mounted upon a table or framework having plan view of the front portion of the machine, the open sides A and top plate A. A main showing myimproved feed mechanism. Fig. power-shaft B extends across the frame of 40 3 is a sectional side elevation of the feed the machine and is journaled in bearings mechanism, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 5. Fig. mounted in the sides A. Mounted upon the 4 is a sectional plan view on line 4 4 of Fig. shaft B are two sets of pulleys Bb and 13 b 5, showing the feeding-chute, the feeder-bar, the latter set being of smaller diameter than and the plunger just prior to driving a blank the former. Pulleys B B are fast to shaft 5 5 into position for threading. Fig. 5 is a front B, and pulleys Z) b are loose on said shaft. elevation of the upper part of the machine. Cooperating with the respective sets of pul- Fig. 0 is a fragmentary longitudinal section leys are belts b and b which belts run in through the feeder-bar. Fig. 7 is a section opposite directions. The belt I) on pulley on line 7 7 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction B drives the shaft B in a forward direction 50 of the arrows. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side with respect to the tool operating on the elevation showing the feed mechanism and blank, and the heltl) when cngagingthe pulley B reverses the motion of shaft B and correspondingly causes the tool to back out of the blank.

Mounted on the shaft B is a worm B and a bevel-pinion E the former engaging suitable cogs in the periphery of a wheel 0, mounted on a transverse shaft C, and the latter driving a series of spindles carrying the thread-cutting taps, as clearly described in the patent aforesaid. The Wheel 0 has in one of its faces a slot C in which are adjustably mounted two stop-blocks C A sliding bar D, mounted in bearings on the under side of the top plate A, is provided with a crosspost D, that extends in the path of the stopblocks C Connected with the bar D by an arm D is a parallel bar D upon which are mounted the belt-shifters d and (1". As the wheel 0 is actuated from the main shaft B, the barD will be reciprocated back and forth by the stop-blocks C engaging the post D, thereby shifting the belts b and b from the fast to the loose pulleys, and vice versa, with the result that the machine is automatically advanced and reversed with a period of operation determined by the position of the stop-blocks C and as the pulley B of the reversing-belt is smaller than pulley B of the direct-driving belt the machine will be operated more rapidly in the reverse direction, and consequently the taps will be advanced slowly in the threading operation and will be more rapidly operated to back the taps out of the blanks.

Mounted upon the top plate A is a bellshaped casting I, which supports the blankreceiving hopper P and the devices cooperating therewith, whereby the blanks, which are dumped into the hopper in large quantities, are regularly and uniformly delivered to the various feed-chutes '1.

As thus far explained this machine is like that described in my Patent No. 556,054; but the means for controlling the blanks in the chutes and for feeding said blanks into position to be acted upon by the thread-cutters differ widely from the feeding means employed in the said patented device. In the present construction a series of feed-chutes corresponding in number to the thread-cutting spindles are connected with the circular plate L, within which the blank feeding and agitating devices are contained. Each of these chutes T is extended downwardly and outwardly from the circular plate to the thread-cutting spindles. At the bottom of the inclined portion each chute is provided with a deflected section T which is preferably formed by a continuation of the chute at right angles to its former direction. Beyond this deflected section thatportion T of each chute which is directly over the threadcutting tools is formed at right angles to and in communication with said deflected section, so that each blank passing down the feedchute to the taps during the final feeding operations is moved laterally and then forwardly to a position over the taps. The deflected sections of the chutes, which are disposed in a horizontal plane along the forward edge of the top plate A, are preferably of steel or other hard metal and are formed integrally with the end sections T of the re spective chutes, which in turn are secured in a support on the top plate A. The end of each section T is bifurcated to permit the passage of the tap and is also provided with two guides or ways T raised slightly above the level of the section T Above the chutesection T is a wearing-block T, which has in its lower face a channel to receive and center the blank. This block T which is wedgeshaped in section, is held in position by a key-piece T which is held adj ustably in the support by bolt T Mounted in brackets VV projecting from the support on top plate A, is a feed-bar which consists of a reciprocating rod W fitting freely in a tubular sleeve W Substantially opposite the mouths or outlets of the main chutes T there is slidably mounted on the sleeve Vt a series of collars W each provided with a depending finger 20 and a handle w. Beneath each collar W the sleeve W is slotted at diametrically opposite points to permit the passage of pins W passing through the .rod W and normally engaging suitable slots in the edges of the collars. Between the collars VV and rings secured to sleeve W are springs W surrounding the sleeve and normally holding the respective collars W in engagement with their cooperating pins W It will be apparent that as the rod W is moved to the right the collars W will be moved along sleeve W against the tension of the springs W and upon the reverse movement of the rod each spring will force its particular collar into engagement with its pin W and hence the rod and the collars will travel together during the entire reciprocation of the former. Each collar, however, is capable of being moved along and rotated on the sleeve W independently of the rod W as will be hereinafterdescribed. The fingers 10 normally occupy positions in the deflected sections of the several chutes directly in front of and closing the openings of the main chutes T into the said deflected sections. One end of the rod W projects beyond the supporting-bracket W and is engaged by the end of a rock-lever X, pivoted to the top plate A by a suitable pin X, and the other end of said rock-lever is provided with a cam-section X which cooperates with a bowl a mounted in a collar to, which is adjustably secured to the end of an actuatorbar 10 A series of feed slides or plungers V, each having an extended finger V, are mounted in guideways in the top plate A. The fingers V, which are practically the same width as the blanks, reciprocate across the section T of the respective chutes to force the blanks therein contained into the end sections T of the chutes and over the tap corresponding to the particular chute. Each, of these plungers Vis connected to the horizontal actuator-bar a by a safety-pitman V which consists of a spring rigidly secured to the plunger and having a curved end embracing the under side of bar a. The actuator-bar u is rigidly attached at its middle portion to an arm n of a slide U, mounted in brackets on the under side of the top plate A, which arm 20 projects through and reciprocates in a slotin said plate A. Motion isimparted to the slide U by an arm U that is rigidly fixedto the cross-shaft O, which arm alternately engages a pin u, adjustably mounted in the end of a pivoted dog U, secured to slide U, and a second dog U likewise pivoted to slide U. -As the machine is moved in a forward direction the arm U engages the dog U and advances the slide U, thereby advancing the actuatorbar a and the various plungers V. The for- I ward movement of the plunger-bar causes the bowl a at its end to ride up on the cam X on the rock-lever X, thereby causing the said lever to turn on its pivot and force the rod W' of the feed-bar to the right. The reverse movement of the cross-shaft Gcauses the end of arm U to engage the dog U and retract the slide U and actuator-bar M and consequently withdraw the plungers V from engagernent with the deflected sections T of the feed-chutes. At the sametime the bowl to moves off of the cam-section X of rock-lever X, andthe springs W surrounding the rod W drive this rod, with its appurtenant parts, to the left, and thereby return the rock-lever X to the position shown in Fig. 2.

The operation of my improved feed mechanism in connection with this particular machine is as follows: The hopper P is supplied with blanks to be threaded, and these blanks are regularly delivered into the feed-chutes. The blanks readily pass down the inclined portions of the main chutes until the foremost blank in each chute reaches the de: flected section T of the chute, where it en'- counters the finger @0 of the feed-bar, which finger occupies said section T and effectively closes the mouth of the chute. Assuming that the machine is now operating with the driving-belt b on fast pulley B, the tap-spin: dles are actuated through-the bevel-pinion B and the shaft 0 through the wheel 0 and the screw B and as shaft 0 rotates in the forward direction arm Uisecured thereon,engages the dog U on slide U, moving said slide, together with the attached actuator-bar M in a forward direction, thereby driving the fingers V of the plungers V across the deflected sec: tions T of the several chutes. If a ,blank happened to occupy any of these deflected chute-sections, it would be engaged by the corresponding plunger and forced into posi:

tion in the forward ch ute-section over the tap, and the latter in its continued advance would pass through and properly thread the blank. The forward movement of the actuator-bar a rocks the lever X on its pivot, and theouter end of said lever forces the rod W of thefeed-bar to the right. The .pins W in said rod engaging the grooves in thecollars W force said collars along the sleeve W against the tension of springs W As the rod W moves to the right the fingers 20 on the respective collars W are carried along the deflected chute sections '1? "until the mouths of the main chutes, opening into the several deflected sections, are uncovered, and a single blank passes from each main ch-ute into the corresponding deflected section. As

the machine reaches the end of its forward operation the appropriate stop-block C strikes post D on rod D and shifts belt b from fast pulleyB to loose pulley b and nioves revers-.

ing-belt b from loose pulley b to fast pulley B, which immediatelyfcauses a reversal of all of the moving parts of the machine which effect the feeding and threading of the blanks. The'reversal of shaft 0 causes arm U to engage dog U and move slideU to the rear, thereby retracting the actuator-bar n and the connected plungers V until the fingers V of said plungers are Withdrawn from the variousdeflectedchute-sectionsT Thesprings W now come into operation and force the collars W and the rod W to the left, whereby the blanks that have been passed from the main chutes into the deflected chute-sections are each engaged by the finger 112 cooperating with that particular section and forced along said'section untilthey reach a position directly in front of the end chute-sections T and in the path of the plunger-fingers V. In this movement of the feed-bar the several fingers pass in front of and effectually close the .mouths of the various chutes T, so that no other blank can pass into the deflectedchute portions. The belts are again automatically shifted, and the machine is driven in its forward operation, as before described. The

plungers V are advanced to force the blanks in the respective sections T into theend sections T and over the tap-spindles, which are 'then advanced intothe blanks to properly thread the same. All blanks whichoccupy the end sections T over the taps are forced out of the machine by the admission of the succeeding blanks. After the blanks have been threaded the machine is again automatically reversed and the operation repeatedindefinitely. Y

ltis to be p'articularly noted thatbut a single blank is allowed to pass into a deflected chute-section at a time, and the finger 10 which advances this blank into position to beoperated upon by the plun ger,simultaneously ,closes the main chute to absolutely prevent the escapeof the blanks from the main chute until the first blank has been fed tothe taps and thefingertuu has been fullyretracted.- 'By this means the clogging of the-blanks in the chute'is ventirely obviated and the neces sityof providing holding springs or detents for the lower blank in the chute is avoided.

It is also to be noted that should any chute fail to deliver a blank or should a blank become wedged between the finger 10 and the sides of the chute the difliculty may be quickly released by moving the finger cooperating with the particular blank or chute along the sleeve W by the handle IV, provided for that purpose, when the blank may be properly adjusted in the chute; also, when necessary any finger may be completely disengaged from its chute by moving the collar W to the right and rotating it about the sleeve V thereby turning the finger up out of the line of the chute. Again, should a blank become lodged in the chute in front of the finger wi there is no possibility of breaking the finger or feed-bar or of interrupting the operation of the other fingers, as the spring W will yield as theother springs force their respective collars and the rod W forward, and the one finger alone will be thrown out of operation.

It will be seen that my improved device is simple in construction, involving little wear on the moving parts, and most efficientin operation, effecting an accurate, uniform, and positive feed of the blanks from the chutes one at a time in such manner and under such conditions as to practically preclude the possibility of a stoppage of the feed due to clogging of the blanks or a failure to deliver a blank to each of the taps it there are any blanks at all in the several main chutes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In combination in ablank-threading machine, a feed-chute for the blanks, a feed-bar moving across said chute, a finger on said bar adapted to simultaneously engage and deflect the foremost blank in the chute and arrest the movement of the blanks in the chute, a plunger for forcing the deflected blank to the tap and operating at right angles to the feedbar, and means to successively advance the feed-bar and the plunger.

2. In combination in a blank-threading machine, a feed-chute for the blanks, which chute is formed with a deflected section, a feed-bar reciprocating across said chute, a finger on said bar adapted to simultaneously advance a blank along said deflected chutesection and arrest the movement of the blanks in the main chute, a plunger operating across the deflected section to force the blank from the deflected section and over the tap, and means to successively advance the feed-bar and the plunger.

3. In combination in a blank-threading machine, a feed-chute for the blanks, which chute is provided with a deflected section at its lower end, a feed-bar having a finger reciprocating across said chute adapted to simultaneously advance a blank along the deflected section of said chute and arrest the movement of the blanks in the main chute, a plunger operating across said chute-section to force the blank from the deflected section and over the tap, an actuator-bar connected to said plunger and said feed-bar, whereby the feed-bar and the plunger are alternately operated to advance the blank.

4. In combination in a blank-threading machine, a feed-chute for the blanks, which chute is provided with a deflected section at its lower end, a feed-bar having a finger reciprocating across the chute and adapted to simultaneously advance a blank along the deflected section of said chute and arrest the movement of the blanks in the main chute, a plunger operating across said chute-section to force the blank from the deflected section and over the tap, an actuator-bar operatively connected to said plunger, and a rock-lever pivoted between said actuator-bar and said feed-bar, whereby the latter is operated by said actuator-bar, all so arranged that when the plunger is advanced to force a blank over the tap, the feed-bar is retracted to uncover the chute and upon the reverse movement of r the plunger the feed-bar is advanced to close the chute and advance the next blank.

5. In combination in a blank-threading machine, a hopper containing the blanks, a series of feed-chutes delivering the blanks from the hopper to the taps, each chute having a deflected section at its lower end, a feed-bar reciprocating across said chutes, a series of spring-pressed fingers mounted upon said feed-bar and normally closing the respective chutes, reciprocating plungers for the respective chute-sections, and an actuator-bar connected with the several plungers and with the feed-bar, whereby the blanks are advanced along the deflected sections of the chute by the feed-bar fingers and subsequently forced over the taps by the plungers.

6. In combination in a blank-threading machine, a hopper containing the blanks, a series of chutes delivering the blanks from the hopper to the taps, each chute having a deflected section at its lower end, a plunger reciprocating across each of said deflected chute-sections to force the blank therefrom and over the corresponding tap, an actuator-bar, yielding safety connections between the actuatorbar and the respective plungers, whereby the latter are reciprocated, a feed-bar having a series of fingers reciprocating along said deflected chute-sections to advance the foremost blank in each chute and arrest the movement of the blanks in the main chutes, and means connected with said actuator-bar to retract the feed-bar and cause the fingers thereon to uncover the respective chutes for the delivery of another blank into each of the deflected chute-sections.

7. A blank-feeding mechanism comprising a chute havinga deflected section, a plunger reciprocating across said deflected section, a feed-bar mounted above and transversely of said chute, said bar comprising a stationary sleeve, a reciprocating rod mounted in said sleeve, a collar on said sleeve and connected with said rod, a finger on said collar operating in said deflected chute-section and normally closing the main chute, and means for advancing and retracting said plunger and said feed-bar alternately, whereby a single blank is fed from the chute, advanced by the finger along said deflected chute-section, and forced over the tap by the plunger.

8. A blank-feeding mechanism comprising a series of chutes, each having a deflected section at its end, a plunger reciprocating across each of said deflected sections, a feed-bar mounted above and transversely of said chutes, said feed-bar comprising a stationary sleeve, a reciprocating rod mounted in said sleeve, a series of collars loosely mounted on said sleeve and detachably connected to said rod, springs surrounding said sleeves and operating to hold said collars and said rod in engagement, and fingers on the collars operating in the deflected sections-0f the chutes, and means for advancing and retracting said pl u n gers and said feed-bar alternately,where- 

